billboard

Everyday

1. A billboard is a very large board beside a road or on a building for showing advertisements. tree →
2. (US) Billboard is also the name of a magazine that publishes music charts, as in «the Billboard Hot 100». tree →

In the lessons

In media lessons billboards are a kind of advertising designed to be read quickly by drivers, using big pictures and few words. In UK English a billboard is also called a hoarding. In music, «number one on the Billboard charts» means the most popular song in the USA. Phrases: on a billboard, billboard advert, Billboard chart.

Examples

• A huge billboard by the motorway showed a new phone. tree →
• The billboard said «Drink milk!» in giant letters. tree →
• Advertisers put billboards where many drivers will see them. tree →
• The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100. tree →
• In our media lesson we designed a billboard for a healthy snack. tree →
• The billboard lit up at night. tree →
• Some cities have banned billboards to make streets look nicer. tree →

Note

Plural billboards. UK also says «hoarding». Billboards are adverts, so ask: what are they trying to make me buy or believe?